IT was a fitting venue for the anniversary celebrations of a club built on charitable ideals - that has grown to become one of the best known and most successful in world football.

Celtic Football Club took its first steps as a club 'formed for the maintenance of dinner tables for the children and the unemployed' in St Mary's Church Hall in Glasgow's Calton and last night, the church itself was at capacity for a special 125th anniversary celebration.

The club is of course today much-changed from the charitable organisation founded by the Marist Brother Walfrid, but as this celebration showed the supporters and custodians continue to cherish and celebrate those humble beginnings.

St Mary's Church was at capacity for last night's anniversary celebrations and Mass, with manager Neil Lennon in attendance alongside club directors, chief executive Peter Lawwell and Celtic's majority shareholder, Dermott Desmond.

The pews were also packed with former players, with the Lisbon Lions sitting alongside Danny McGrain, Davie Hay, Tom Boyd, George McCluskey and Dutch striker, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink - as well as some of the Barcelona directors - who will watch their side run out at Celtic Park in the Champions League tonight.

They were welcomed as guests of honour in an opening address by club chairman, Ian Bankier, who also spoke of Celtic's heritage as 'a Glasgow club with Irish roots'.

The other speakers also highlighted this history, with Church of Scotland minister and Celtic supporter, Ian Miller stealing the show.

The church itself continues to feature prominently in the club's modern history and hosted the funeral of the late Celtic manager, Tommy Burns in 2008. And during the Mass that followed the speeches, a collection was gathered to pay for a mosaic marking the club's 125th anniversary at the entrance to the building.

Afterwards it was revealed by the event organiser's, the Celtic Graves Society, that the remaining £35,000 needed for the project had been personally donated by Dermot Desmond.

“I thought the service was very humbling,” said Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell afterwards. “And the celebration could not have coincided with a better game than the match against Barcelona. The club has come such a long way in 125 years to be facing the best side in the world.

“We have had a fantastic 125 years. We've had the triumphs and tragedies, the successes and failures and at the moment, we are in a very good place.”